New Delhi: The Supreme Court today denied an early hearing of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's petition challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. The court issued notice to the ED on Mr Kejriwal's plea challenging the Delhi High Court order that had upheld his arrest in the case.

The bench asked the ED to file a reply to the plea by April 24, and said the matter would be heard in the week commencing April 29.

Mr Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail and his judicial custody ends today. 

The Delhi High Court had denied relief to Mr Kejriwal on Tuesday following which he approached the Supreme Court for relief. But he could not get an urgent hearing as the court was closed for Eid and the weekend. 

The matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped.

Mr Kejriwal has said that his arrest constitutes an "unprecedented assault on the tenets of democracy" based on "free and fair elections" and "federalism".

Source: NDTV